Real estate round-up: September 22

Check in every business day for the latest edition of Real Estate Round-up, where we post a list of our favorite real estate news stories from DC and beyond.

Headlines from the DC Metro Area: Close quickly and get better mortgage rates HSH.com Once your loan is approved, you'll need to schedule your closing. It can often be more difficult to get a slot with a settlement agent at the end of the month, so be as flexible with your time as possible. Refinancing? Inquire about the 'Reissue Rate" ABC News Conventional wisdom is that it takes somewhere in the 5 to 7 year range to recoup the point that you would pay upfront on a loan, which is good for buyers to keep in mind when they are envisioning how long they will live in the property they are purchasing. Existing home sales rise Washington Post The NAR's chief economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement that rising rents, low mortgage rates and increased investor interest in gobbling up foreclosed properties may account for the uptick.

National real estate news stories: So what could go wrong? St. Augustine Record Home ownership should be hassle free, but when it comes to real estate, there's a lot at stake.� Title insurance covers the hidden risk that goes along with home ownership. � Higher mortgage rate fees proposed Bankrate.com A deficit-reduction package released Monday proposed that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increase fees by one-tenth of one percent for new, guaranteed mortgages. Rates could be set higher than that in areas where there is more risk of foreclosure. Title fees hard to swallow when refinancing a mortgage Los Angeles Times Home buyers and refinancers should shop around when it comes to title insurance. Rates charged by each company can vary by hundreds of dollars.

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